This book had me hooked from the start! I did not and could not put this one down because I had to keep reading. The book consisted of short chapters which makes it easy for readers to get through fairly quickly. The writing style is amazing and at so many points throughout the book I was gasping out loud and putting my hand over my mouth because I thought I knew what was happening but I didn’t! Rose is an incredible protagonist and I know so many readers will root for her and resonate with her. Amazingly written, I know this will be a popular bestseller as soon as it’s released. Perfect to read during the upcoming fall spooky season as well! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

A warm, moving and clever take on the slasher, Philip Fracassi’s latest is well-crafted, unreservedly violent and simultaneously, very wholesome. Whilst I was reading this book my dear Mum glanced at my kindle, scoffed and gave me a look that could curdle milk. She’d assumed that a horror novel entitled “The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre,” was some cheap, tasteless bloodbath reliant on shock value and bad jokes about broken hips and Werther’s Originals. As I promptly (and smugly) informed her though, she couldn’t have been further from the truth. With a hell of a whodunit at its core, wonderful writing and a genuinely delightful cast of characters, here Richard Osman’s “The Thursday Murder Club,” or Netlfix’s “A Man on The Inside,” meets the slasher, and it’s as superb as you’d think. “The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre,” is out from Tor Nightfire in the US and Orbit in the UK September 30th.

We follow Rose DuBois, a formidable septuagenarian, amateur sleuth and unforgettable bad-ass. She lives at Autumn Springs and it seems like a rather nice place to spend your sunset years frankly. There’s movie nights hosted by Gopi, a retired film director, at the community center, around the clock care for when it’s needed, even a few late-life romances. One of them comes to an abrupt end though when Angela Forrest dies. A slip and fall in a retirement home certainly isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, but Rose has her suspicions, ones that are heightened when, amidst reports of a peeping Tom and other increasingly strange goings-ons, there are more deaths. Something is wrong and Rose DuBois is not going to let it go.

As I couldn’t help but mention earlier, our leading lady, our final girl, Rose DuBois is a super-star. She is fierce and determined, she is witty and almost self-deprecating, without ever losing an ounce of dignity, she is gentle and kind and flawed and human. To address the elephant in the room though, she is also in her late seventies. Fracassi’s character-work is sublime beyond Rose. Miller is stoic and loyal and has feelings for Rose that she’s fighting not to reciprocate- she’s too old for boy trouble. Gopi has a wonderful flair for the dramatic. There are three witches and a conspiracy theorist and not a single character who comes off as a stereotype. They’re spunky and spiky and colourful and endearing, and in a slasher (about old people) that is an absolute recipe for disaster let me tell you.

Not one character reads like somebody without aspirations and hopes for whatever remains- relationships, friends, family, a little more life. They’ve certainly earned their rest- paid taxes, buried partners, lived through a lot- but when there is trouble at Autumn Springs, a lot of them find that their lives have been reduced to the same hallways, the same routine. Fracassi’s writing gives aging weight and dignity, but is also preoccupied with themes of mortality, trust, memory and the gradual fading of connection. I would hazard that that is the main horror in “The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre,” that of feeling forgotten, of having worked hard and raised kids and done everything right and still being alone in the end. You know, before this year really, I prided myself on not crying at books, but it seems now I’m semi-permanently a blubbering mess, and I think that simply makes me human.
I’ve heard it said that the slasher is a tired trope, all screamed out, with little left to offer. Well “The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre,” in which Christie meets Craven, is one I’ve added to my roster of recommendations to shut that nonsense down. With its short chapters, extreme pathos, wonderful character-work, and an afterword that will break you, just on the off chance the book itself didn’t, this is a novel that proves the slasher has plenty of life and death left in it.

Okay first of all, having a FINAL GIRL that is in her late 70's? 👏🏻👏🏻. I LOVED ROSE! She was an amazing FMC. Even when things started happening, she refused to go back home because she didn't want to leave her friends behind.

Some of the characters you end up really loving, like Tatum. You can't help but to love him.

When the deaths start happening, the murderer is setting it up to look like accidents. Nobody is taking it serious because old people die, right? But Rose is determined to make the detective look more closely at the crimes.

Obviously if you can't handle reading about murders, this would not be a book for you. (I mean... the title!?). The deaths were pretty brutal in some scenes. The person that I felt had the easiest death was also the one that hurt the most.

The ending? All I can say is Rose is everything you want for a final girl. I loved her so much. I had my thoughts on who the murderer could be, and I was wrong. 😅.

This had so much potential for me. I love Philip Fracassi’s writing. I love the characters he’s created in this story. We get to know so many wonderful people, like Tatum Bird, a sweet man with Alzheimer’s just looking for his dog named Jack. I feel outside of that, the pacing was a little slow, structure was a bit repetitive, and all for a reveal that was mid. The whole story had me guessing what was going to happen, just to be like “oh, that one? Okay.” at the end. Which was a bummer, because I just love the residents at Autumn Springs. I’d love to read another story about them just to get to know them a bit more!

Dive in expecting an exciting, adventurous, Slasher novel, with lots of tension, suspense, terror, and locked-room mystery; that you will find, in spades. But thoughtful readers will dive deeper, and discover meditations on the stages of life, aging, the perspectives at different life stages, culture, family, found friendships, and much more (including commitment to magic!) There're also wonderfully satisfying character arcs, in multiple. One of the most satisfying aspects for me is how the Mystery itself is laid out: author Philip Fracassi plays very fair with readers. The suspects are several, possibly even multiple, and there are some subtle red herrings. The actual Killer was one of I think three I suspected, but wasn't sure till the Big Reveal. So the clues are present, and readers can work it out for themselves.
Next, the Final Girl: oh my, what an immensely fleshed-out, fully rounded character is she! What depths! What self-control. Like a Timex watch of the 1950's, she "takes a licking and keeps on ticking!" Absolutely one of the emotionally-strongest Final Girls I have ever encountered. ["Laurie Stride" on steroids!] I truly hope author Fracassi will bring her back on stage for an encore!

oh look!! ANOTHER review! 🥹 thank you @netgalley , @tornightfire & @pfracassi for the opportunity to read this slasher early— it was one killer book!

(swipe to see a blurb on the book) 👉🏻

i am absolutely blown away with how much i adore this book— it pulls you in right away and starts out with a brutal murder a few chapters in.

speaking about the murders, they’re gorey, they’re grisly, and they left my jaw dropping to the floor each time a new murder popped up. the descriptions left me cringing in disgust and horror, and i loved every moment of it!

throughout the book, you also learn about each of the residents at the retirement community. i became so attached to the characters, which made it all the more heartbreaking when they’re found dead.

this story was anxiety inducing and super suspenseful: from reading in depth about each murder to trying to solve the question “who is killing everyone?”: my heart rate was ELEVATED lemme tell you!

hands down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, i loved fracassi’s “boys in the valley” (which i also gave five stars) so it’s no surprise i ADORED this book. is it possible to give a book six stars?? bc this book deserves all the love and praise it’s been getting with early reviews.

mark your calendars!! 📅 sept 30th is the pub date for this book that’ll rip your heart out (in the best way possible).

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home has been a safe and welcoming place for seniors who are still spry enough to take care of themselves, while knowing that medical help is available when needed. It is here that we meet a quirky cast of characters, including three witches and a retired school teacher, Rose Dubois. Rose may be nearly 80 years old, but her mind is sharp as a tack, and as a true crime buff with a penchant for mysteries, she is the first to notice that something is off about an alleged fatal accident in the retirement home. As the body count racks up can Rose catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?

In the author's notes at the end of this book, he says he hopes he made readers gasp or possibly chuckle. Well, congratulations on getting that and more, at least from me. It also made me shed a few tears when elderly characters reached out for help from their families and found that nobody cared.

It was so refreshing to read a slasher novel that wasn't a cautionary tale to warn high school and college students that sex can lead to decapitation or streaming entrails. The murders are clever and gory, with loads of dark humor and suspense. The plot moves full steam ahead with likable, realistic characters in impossible situations.

This is a novel that succeeds in creating a fresh original take on the slasher subgenre.

5 out of 5 stars

For Rose Dubois, and many other retirees, Autumn Springs is home. Nestled in Upstate New York, the residents are living out their golden years in comfort. That is until Rose’s close friend is found dead in her unit, believed to be felled by a slip and fall. However, the severity of the injuries leave many questions unanswered for Rose and her neighbors. As more “accidents” occur resulting in an increasing number of residents leaving Autumn Springs in body bags, it’s clear there is a killer on the loose. Can Rose and a handful of her friends find out who is behind the grizzly murders before they end up six feet under?

Look, this is inevitably going to be compared to Thursday Murder Club, and I can’t say I’m surprised. Richard Osman’s books are hugely popular and with a movie adaptation due to be released shortly before this novel hits store shelves, Philip Fracassi’s AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE is going to either gain from the association or suffer when people juxtapose the two books. And honestly, that’s what initially drove me to request an advanced copy. However, this is a horror novel, and Osman’s books are mystery novels, so it’s possible they may not have much crossover, with the comparison’s left for only folks like me.

The first half of the book, man, this felt like a knockoff of Osman’s books. But boy, oh, boy, that second half? It became a VERY different novel. It’s a shame because I struggled so much in the beginning, to the point where I really wasn’t looking forward to picking the book up at all. I understand the need to lay the groundwork so that the finale works the way that it does, but it really felt like such a slog to get to where the story needed to be. The characters were not as charming nor as interesting (aside from Rose) as I felt they could have been. That said, once Fracassi pushed the pedal to the floor, this became straight-up unputdownable. The tamer killings in the beginning felt like child’s play once the stakes were raised. I really thought I had the killer’s identity figured out, but the rug was pulled out from under me at the reveal. And that climax? Great stuff.

THE AUTUMN SPRINGS RETIREMENT HOME MASSACRE is set for release on September 30, 2025.

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre was one hell of a good time! As someone who worked in a retirement community much like the one described in the book, I was intrigued by the title. I was not disappointed. The details of the community were spot on from the activities the residents did and the food they ate to the ever active gossip mill. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters while rooting for them to somehow escape the killer. It wouldn't be a massacre without out losing the good ones but the thrill of these creative deaths made up for the loss. Only one death in particular hit me hard and I had to grasp at my heart to cope.

You can tell a lot of heart went into creating these older characters and showing what they go through as they age. The way their health issues were handled felt thoughtful and respectful. This was my first book by the author and it definitely won’t be my last.

As someone who has an extremely soft spot for the elderly, I knew reading this book about a serial killer in a retirement home was going to destroy me. Good news, only one death hit me hard. The rest of the book I thoroughly enjoyed, I loved getting to know all the wild characters in autumn springs - and Rose is an icon!

This book had short chapters, slasher film style murders where you actually gasp, I thought I knew who it was the whole time, I was wrong. @pfracassi you are a rock star! After reading Boys in the Valley, I wasn’t sure if this would compare to how much I loved that one, but it did! You are an incredible storyteller and everyone mark your calendars and go ahead and add this one to your spooky season tbr!

🔪🔪🔪🔪.5/5

Thank you @tornightfire for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 9/30

4.5 Stars

A surprisingly fun and unconventional slasher with a bit of heart! The Thursday Murder Club meets Scream.

The retirement community proves to be a great setting for this story, allowing for a realistically underwhelming response from police (old people die every day, right??) and creating a secluded backdrop with varied locales for violence and mayhem. The characters are beautifully done, full of quirks and flaws and interesting lives. The difficult topic of aging is addressed well, never being too heavy-handed, but always considered as events unfold. The author pulls no punches, dispatching elderly characters with unique and gruesome methods, and in high volume.

Half a star was taken off solely because the villain was a tad too campy for my liking, a bit too Scooby-Doo for the tone of the book.

This was my first book by Philip Fracassi, but won't be my last!

I'm not a big fan of slashers in general, and the fact that this was set in a retirement home didn't give me much hope...a book making cheap jokes about senility and incontinence while elderly people get killed...? Nah. But I really enjoyed my previous Fracassi (The Boys in the Valley), so I figured I'd give him a chance.

Dispelling my misgivings almost instantly, I was happy to see that Fracassi treats his cast of retirement home characters with dignity and respect, giving each a distinct, charming personality. You really feel it when the killing starts. There is a lot of humor, but no mockery...the humor flows organically, from the way the group of friends relate to one another and interact. They all seemed like people you'd like to spend your retirement with and around.

As far as the mystery....I had the killer pegged early on, although Fracassi had me second-guessing a few times. There was one big clue that, unless I missed something, was never really followed up on or explained, so that bothered me, but the final showdown was a crackerjack, and the payoff was worth the buildup. I had a great time with this book.

Once again Philip Fracassi does not disappoint! I enjoyed this book a lot and it was a fun, campy read, perfect for summer.

Rose the MC is vivid, fierce and the grandma/aunty everyone dreams of having. I adored her character and really enjoyed her relationship dynamic with Miller as well. It was sweet to see their arc develop.

I love the mysterious feel and mood. I also enjoyed the violent, tragic death scenes. Perfect for slasher lovers.

I took off a star because the ending bummed me out. I wasn’t happy with the identity of the slasher and I feel it was a bit out of left field. But overall a fun, entertaining read.

This book has all the vibes that I love in a horror novel! And to be honest, I wasn't sure I'd like this one because the main characters are a lot older than me but I actually enjoyed them all (Rose being my favorite)! If you like slasher type novels that deliver on the horror AND the thrills then this is a must read. It's vert different than the authors previous novel but still just as good!

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆, 𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝒊 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕...."

Special thanks to @tornightfire @philipfracassi & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such a great ending. I loved this one. Fun and terrifying all at the same time. Rose is a badass and even though there were a few times I thought I knew who it was, I honestly had forgotten about them altogether and was pleasantly surprised.

People keep dying at Autumn Springs Retirement Home, but not because of their age. Rose knows something is up, and will do anything to catch whoever is hurting her friends. But at what cost?

👵 Large body count
🧓 Mysterious murderer
👵 Locked room feel
🧓 Cozy mystery vibes
👵 Multiple POVs
🧓 Slasher vibes

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Sep 30, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Do you think you'd check yourself into a retirement home before you need it, or wait until you can't live alone anymore?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #theautimnspringsretirementhomemassacre #philipfracassi #tornightfire #netgalley
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The autumn springs retirement home massacre was a wild ride. It hit so many marks. At times a cozy mystery that was completely enthralling. Other times a campy slasher horror. But overall, it had so much heart. This setting and characters were definitely a choice. The forgotten elderly. People dying at a retirement home? Doesn’t that happen everyday? Oh, they’re old, they’re nearly dead anyway. There was one brief point where I was almost in tears. Some folks asking family members if they could come stay with them and the general consensus was-it’s not a good time, but here’s some money. Seeing how easily this age bracket is disregarded and sometimes thrown away hit hard. But no one knew their worth more than our octogenarian final girl Rose. Mixing real life commentary on how society sees and deals with the elderly with campy horror and cozy mystery was something I’ve never seen before. It was never preachy, the characters and storyline were well-development and always entertaining. But it left me withal a message I hope to always remember. And I’d definitely watch the sequel.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

What an incredible ride that Philip Fracassi has taken us into the cozy campus of Autumn Springs. The story he weaves made me instantly fall in love with these characters. A story about a slasher in a retirement community that also makes you feel sad and inspires. Fracassi has really done a masterful job.

Ruth DuBois is not the typical final girl, but when her friends and neighbors start dropping like flies, she knows something atypical is afoot. Yes...people die all the time in retirement communities, but this many people in one week? It has to be the work of a serial killer.

What I loved about this book is it takes the summer slasher trope and turns it on its head. Normally, these involve young kids--teenagers, really--alone in the woods/amusement park/secluded island, etc. and sends in a masked killer to slash away. There's masks and slashing, for sure, in Philip Fracassi's latest novel, but only one kid tangentially connected to the main character. In this reimagining of the classic slasher, the "kids" are octogenarians. It was so refreshing to see characters at this stage of their life taking central stage. The slashings were unique and interesting. There was a constant sense of dread hanging around every corner the characters turned. The plot kept me guessing as to the identity of the slasher. Such good fun!

If you love slashers, give this book a try. It's so fun, so refreshing!

This was a fun romp through an old folks home. It’s not where I would think to set a slasher but it makes sense as explained in the book.

Rose is an independent woman who has found freedom at Autumn Springs and she has also found a rag tag group of friends. When they start dying off, Rose becomes suspicious though the deaths are seemingly commonplace for the age range at the home.

Heartwarming, gory, funny, and at times, heart racing, I enjoyed getting to know Rose and co through this book!

This is my second Philip Fracassi book and I’ll be delving in to his past work because I like the way he tells a story.

Wow what a book! It had me hooked from the first page. It’s a slasher book but has a great storyline to go with it. Won’t be the last book by this author.